Hanoi police have asked the municipal prosecution agency to lay "fraud" charges against three men for cheating people looking to work abroad.

Nguyen Van Bang, Nguyen Hong Huy and Nguyen Phi Dung had taken more than VND1.4 billion (US$67,200) and $129,000 as fees for labor export procedures from 20 people between 2007 and 2009, according to the police.

Bang introduced himself as the employee of several big companies and connived with Huy and Dung to persuade the job-seekers that he could find them work in South Korea and Australia.

They showed the workers fake contracts written in foreign languages and bought them air tickets to win their confidence.

Later, the three men told the workers several times that their flights had been cancelled. The workers reported the matter to the police after failing to get their money back from the tricksters.